Local Chartered Certified Accountants for Accounting services in UK

  Banks are 'cost winners' of AI boom, BlackRock says European banks remain undervalued, despite a strong rally AI could add $340 billion annually to global banking, McKinsey LONDON, Dec 15 (Reuters) - After a stellar 2025, investors expect shares in European banks to keep heading higher in 2026, supported by strong earnings and, crucially, cost savings stemming from artificial intelligence. As fears of a recession and  interest rate  cuts from the European Central Bank have subsided, investors have turned even more positive towards European banks, revising up their expectations for the sector, despite a complicated backdrop. Meanwhile, AI  https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/  has emerged as a new force drawing investors to European lenders' shares, partly because a dearth of technology companies in the region has forced many to hunt for AI beneficiaries in old-economy markets. Banks have started to use AI to improve operational efficienc...

  Getty Images Best-selling author Joanna Trollope has died aged 82, her family has announced. The writer was known as the "queen of the Aga saga" because her novels often focused on romance and intrigue in middle England, although she rejected the tag as "patronising". In a statement, her daughters Louise and Antonia said their "beloved and inspirational mother" had died "peacefully at her Oxfordshire home" on Thursday. Trollope's novels include The Rector's Wife, Marrying The Mistress, Second Honeymoon and Daughters in Law. Trollope's literary agent James Gill said in a statement: It is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of Joanna Trollope, one of our most cherished, acclaimed and widely enjoyed novelists. "Joanna will be mourned by her children, grandchildren, family, her countless friends and - of course - her readers." Trollope's books have been translated into more than 25 languages, and several have b...

Image caption, Roy Marsh was issued a fine for spitting in Skegness A man who was fined for spitting out a leaf after it blew into his mouth has joined calls for "responsible" litter enforcement. Roy Marsh, 86, was hit with a £250 fine after an incident in Skegness, Lincolnshire, earlier this year. The story emerged after Adrian Findley, a county councillor, said he had received a number of complaints about similar "heavy handed" incidents in the seaside resort. East Lindsey District Council (ELDC) said enforcement teams, who work on behalf of the authority, would "only approach individuals who have been seen committing environmental crime offences". Mr Marsh claimed he was reprimanded as he stopped for a rest while walking across the South Parade Car Park in February. "As I was sitting there, a gale blew a big reed into my mouth. I spat it out and just as I got up to walk away two guys [enforcement officers] came up to me," he said. Mr Marsh was...

  Apple   ( AAPL ) stock has received three price-target hikes from Wall Street analysts this week. They see the consumer electronics giant benefiting from strong iPhone sales and the launch soon of an AI-powered Siri digital assistant. Late Monday, Citi analyst Atif Malik reiterated his buy rating on Apple stock and upped his price target to 330 from 315. But on the  stock market today , Apple stock dipped 0.3% to close at 277.18. Owners of iPhone 12 and 13 model handsets bought during the Covid pandemic of 2020 and 2021 are "entering their upgrade window," Malik said in a client note. He sees robust iPhone 17 sales throughout 2026 as consumers upgrade their smartphones. Malik also noted the possibility that Apple could push the release of the base model iPhone 18 from fall 2026 to early 2027. Earlier on Monday, Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives raised his price target on Apple stock to 350 from 320. He kept his outperform rating. "2026 is going to finally be the y...